Normanhurst Court
Encyclopedia
Normanhurst Court was a large manor house in the village of Catsfield
in East Sussex
.
, one of the leading railway builders of the nineteenth century. The works, which were carried out by Lucas Brothers
, were completed shortly after he died in 1870 and the house was occupied by Lord Brassey
, his son. The house was designed to resemble a French
Chateau
, and was home of the Brassey family for many years.
The house contained some important portraits by Walter Goodman
of Lord Brassey, his wife, Lady Anna Brassey
, their children, and Thomas Brassey senior.
It was approached by two entrances each with a lodge. An octagonal water tower rose in the South-West corner of the site. The water tower, a museum and the bachelor's quarters were all situated away from the main building. The estate extended to some 3400 acres (13.8 km²) with farmhouses and other buildings.
During World War I
it was used as a military hospital for wounded soldiers and, then having been used as a girls' school between the wars, it was used as a Prisoner of war
camp during World War II
. The house was demolished in 1951 and the grounds are now used as a caravan park.
Catsfield
Catsfield is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. It is located six miles north of Bexhill, and three miles southwest of Battle. The village once consisted of two manors: Catsfield and Catsfield Levett...
in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
.
History
The building of the house was initiated by Thomas BrasseyThomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
, one of the leading railway builders of the nineteenth century. The works, which were carried out by Lucas Brothers
Lucas Brothers, Builders
Lucas Brothers was a leading British building business based in London.-Early history:The business was founded by Charles Thomas Lucas and Thomas Lucas . They were the sons of James Lucas , a builder, of St Pancras, London...
, were completed shortly after he died in 1870 and the house was occupied by Lord Brassey
Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey
Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey GCB, JP, DL, TD , was a British Liberal Party politician, Governor of Victoria and founder of The Naval Annual.-Background and education:...
, his son. The house was designed to resemble a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
, and was home of the Brassey family for many years.
The house contained some important portraits by Walter Goodman
Walter Goodman
Walter Goodman was a British painter, illustrator and author.The son of British portrait painter Julia Salaman and London linen draper and town councillor, Louis Goodman , he studied with J. M. Leigh and at the Royal Academy in London, where he was admitted as a student in 1851...
of Lord Brassey, his wife, Lady Anna Brassey
Anna Brassey
Anna Brassey, Baroness Brassey was an English traveller and writer. Her bestselling book, A Voyage in the Sunbeam, our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months was published in 1878....
, their children, and Thomas Brassey senior.
It was approached by two entrances each with a lodge. An octagonal water tower rose in the South-West corner of the site. The water tower, a museum and the bachelor's quarters were all situated away from the main building. The estate extended to some 3400 acres (13.8 km²) with farmhouses and other buildings.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it was used as a military hospital for wounded soldiers and, then having been used as a girls' school between the wars, it was used as a Prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The house was demolished in 1951 and the grounds are now used as a caravan park.